Long-Acting Combination Lap, Body and Dual Hand Warmer

ABSTRACT

A long acting, combination lap, body and hand warmer that includes a relatively large, insulating shell body with a closeable wide top opening and a longitudinally aligned internal pocket in which a microwaveable heating pad is disposed therein. The shell body includes a rear panel, and a front panel that from the internal pocket with a closed bottom, two closed side edges, and a top opening. Disposed over the front and rear panels are insulating layers that reduce prevent heat lost and also prevent excessive heat transfer that may burn the user if the heating pad were placed in direct contact with the user&#39;s skin. Formed on the front surface of the shell body is a sleeve cover attached along its top and bottom edges to the shell body. The two lateral edges of the sleeve cover are detached forming two side openings to a pouch configured to receive the user&#39;s two hands. During use, heat from the heating pad is transferred through the rear panel to warm the user&#39;s abdomen or lap and outward through the front panel to warm the user&#39;s hands when placed inside the pouch or through the sleeve cover to warm the user&#39;s hands placed over the sleeve cover.

This utility patent application is based on and claims the filing date benefit of U.S. provisional patent application (Application No. 61/987,295) filed on May 1, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to portable body warmers, and more particularly portable, non-electric body warmers that use a replaceable chemical-activated or microwaveable heat pad that may be used to simultaneously warm the user's lap, abdomen, and hands.

2. Description of the Related Art

Parents spend hundreds of hours outdoors in cold weather watching their children play sports. Often they sit on portable lawn chairs or cold bleachers wearing a sweater, jacket or coat with their hands placed in the garment's pockets. When sitting on the chair or bleacher, the parent's lap is normally exposed to cold temperatures.

Comforters, pillows and hand warmers with chemical-activated or microwaveable heating pads are relatively common. Unfortunately, the heating pads after being activated or heated in the microwave appliance only generate heat for 20 to 30 minutes and, therefore, insufficient for parents who watch their players outdoors for several hours.

What is needed is a portable, non-electric, insulated warmer that uses a replaceable chemical-activated or microwaveable heating pad that can be used to simultaneously warm the user's lap, abdomen and hands. What is also needed is a warmer that is sufficiently insulated and structurally configured to extend the heating transfer period.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects of the invention are met by a portable, insulated warmer that includes a relatively large, flat, insulating shell body with a closeable, wide top opening that provides access to a longitudinally aligned internal pocket formed inside the shell body. Disposed inside the internal pocket is at least one chemical-activated, or microwaveable heating pad.

The shell body includes parallel front and rear panels. Attached to the inside surface of the front and rear panels are front and rear insulating layers, respectively. Heat produced by the heating pad is slowly transferred through the insulation layers and the panels.

The shell body also includes an outer sleeve layer that covers the outside surface of the front panel. The sleeve layer is attached along its top and bottom edges to the shell body. The two lateral edges of the outer sleeve layer are detached from the shell body thereby forming a longitudinally aligned pouch with two opposite side openings sufficiently wide to allow a user to insert both hands into the pouch.

The shell body is a flat, large rectangular structure that is sufficiently large to cover the user's lap when sitting or the user's abdomen when standing. An optional adjustable neck strap is attached to shell body that allows the shell body to be vertically hung from the neck or disposed at different locations against the user's abdomen or lap. An optional waist strap may be attached to the shell body's lateral edges that allow the user to attach the shell body to the user's waist.

If the warmer is used with a chemical activated heating pad, the heating pad is activated and then placed inside the internal pocket. If a microwaveable heating pad is used, the heating pad may be first heated inside a microwave appliance and then placed into the internally pocket. Because the shell body is made of microwaveable safe material and does not use metallic components, the microwaveable heating pad may be placed inside the internal pocket and both the warmer and heating pad may be placed inside the microwave appliance to warm the heating pad.

During use, heat from the heating pad is transferred through the rear insulation layer and through the rear panel to warm the user's abdomen or lap depending on how the warmer is positioned against the body. Heat from the heating pad is also transferred through the front insulation panel and the front panel to warm the user's hands if placed into the pouch. The outer pouch layer extends over the top surface of the hands to minimize heat loss. Sometimes, the user must use one or both hands when outdoors which requires one or both hands be kept outside the pouch at all times. The user may still warm the palm of each hand by placing it against the outside surface of the outer sleeve layer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is illustration of user sitting on a bench using the combination lap and hand warmer.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the warmer.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the warmer.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the warmer with the hands removed

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the warmer with the hands inserted into the front pouch.

FIG. 6 is a sectional, side elevational view of the warmer taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring to the Figs, there is shown a portable combination lap and hand warmer 10 that includes a relatively large, flat, insulating shell body 12 with a closeable, wide top opening 15. Formed inside the shell body 12 is a longitudinally aligned, insulated internal pocket 30 in which a flat, square or rectangular-shaped chemical-activated or microwaveable heating pad 50 is disposed. The shell body 12 includes a thin rear panel 14 and a thin front panel 20. The top edge 23 of the front panel 20 extends over the top edge of the rear panel 14 forming a rectangular top flap 21 that covers the top opening 15. Attached to the outside surface of the rear panel 14 and to the inside surface of the flap 21 are compatible hook and loop connector pads 19, 31, respectively.

The located on the inside surfaces of the rear panel 14 and front panel 20 is a rear insulation layer 32 and a front insulating layer 34, respectively. The size of the internal pocket 30 and the size of the heating pad 50 are compatible so the heating pad 50 fits entirely and longitudinally inside the internal pocket 30. During use, heat from the heating pad 50 warms and is transferred through the rear insulation layer 32 and the rear panel 14. Heat from the heating pad 50 also warms and it transferred through the front insulation layer 34 and the front panel 20. Because the rear panel 14 and the front panel 20 are relatively thin, heat from the rear insulation layer 32 and the front insulation layer 34 evenly heats the rear and front panel. The rear and front insulation layers 32, 34 are thicker than the rear and front panels 14, 20, respectively. The rear and front insulation layers 32, 34 are configured to absorb and evenly distribute the heat from the heating pad 50 thereby preventing excessively hot spots against the skin that may be uncomfortable.

The warmer 10 also includes an outer sleeve layer 40 that covers the front panel 20. The outer sleeve layer 40 is attached along the bottom edge 41 to the lower edge of the shell body 12. The top edge 42 of the outer sleeve layer 40 is attached to the top flap 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the two lateral edges 43, 44 of the outer sleeve layer 40 are detached from the shell body 12 forming a pouch 37 with two wide side openings 38, 39 that allow a user 90 to insert one or both hands 96, 98 into the pouch 37 and against the outside surface of the front layer 20. Heat from the heating pad 50 when placed into the internal pocket 30 penetrates the front panel 20 and warms the palm of the hands.

The outer pouch layer 40 extends over the top surfaces of the hands 96, 98 to minimize heat loss. Sometimes, the user must use one or both hands 96, 98 when outdoors which requires one or both hands 96, 98 be kept outside the pouch 37. The user may still warm the palm of each hand 96, 98 by placing the hand against the outside surface of the outer sleeve layer 40.

The shell body 12 and the heating pad 50 are sufficiently large to cover the user's lap when sitting. An optional neck strap 70 is also provided that allows the shell body 12 to be hung vertically from the neck 91. The neck strap 70 includes two opposite end clips 72, 74, a buckle 76 and a shoulder pad 78. Attached to the top edge of the shell body 12 are two hanging d-rings 66, 68 that attaches to clips 72, 74 respectively. An optional waist strap 80 is also provided (see FIG. 3) with two end-rings 84, 86 that attach to two side clips 88, 89 that enable the shell body 12 to be worn around the user's waist.

The warmer 10 is approximately 8 to 18 inches in length, 6 to 16 inches in width, and 1½ to 3 inches thick. The internal pocket 30 will accommodate a heating pad 50 that is approximately 1 inch shorter in length, 1 inch shorter in width, and approximately ½ inch thick. The neck strap 70 and waist strap 80 s, which are made of leather, nylon or canvas, are adjustable and measure 30 to 48 inches in length. The rear and front panels 14, 20, respectively, on the shell body 12 are made of nylon, vinyl, cotton, or paper stock. The rear and front insulation panels 22, 34 are made of synthetic material, cotton or wool.

As stated above, if the warmer 10 is used with a chemical activated heating pad 50, the heating pad 50 is activated and then placed inside the internal pocket 30. If a microwaveable heating pad 50 is used, the heating pad may be separately heated inside a microwave appliance and then placed into the internally pocket 30. Because the shell body 12 is made of nylon, vinyl, cotton or paper stock, which are microwaveable safe material, and does not use metallic components, the microwaveable heating pad 50 may be placed inside the internal pocket 30 and both the warmer 10 and heating pad 50 may be placed inside the microwave appliance to warm the heating pad 50.

In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown comprises the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents. 

We claim:
 1. A combination lap, body and hand warmer, comprising; a. a shell body that includes a rear panel and a front panel connected together to form an internal pocket with a top opening to access said internal pocket; b. a rear insulation layer located adjacent to said rear panel and located inside said internal pocket; c. a front insulation layer located adjacent to said front panel and located in said internal pocket; d. an outer sleeve layer disposed over said front panel forming a pouch over said front panel, said outer sleeve layer includes a top end and a lower edge connected to said shell body and two opposite detached side edges that form two side openings into said pouch; e. a removable heating pad disposed inside said internal cavity; and, f. a neck strap attached to said shell body.
 2. The warmer, as recited in claim 1, further including a top flap formed on said shell body configured to selectively cover said top opening.
 3. The warmer, as recited in claim 2, wherein said top flap is formed by extending said front panel over said top opening and over said rear panel.
 4. The warmer, as recited in claim 3, further including connectors located on top flap and said rear panel that are selectively connected together.
 5. The warmer, as recited in claim 1, wherein said neck strap is detachable from said shell body.
 6. The warmer, as recited in claim 5, further including a waist strap attached to aid shell body.
 7. The warmer, as recited in claim 1, wherein the ends of said neck strap are attached to clips attached to said shell body.
 8. The warmer, as recite in claim 1, wherein said shell body is square or rectangular with parallel top and bottom edges and parallel side edges.
 9. The warmer, as recited in claim 8, wherein said shell body is approximately 8 to 18 inches in length, 6 to 16 inches in width, and 1½ to 3 inches thick.
 10. The warmer, as recited in claim 9, wherein said heating pad 50 is approximately 1 inch shorter in length, 1 inch shorter in width, and approximately ½ inch thinner than said internal pocket formed inside said shell body. 